Athens, with five days left, is rippling with last-minute action, but organizers claim it’s finally on schedule for its once-in-a-century close-up.

If so, the host city will have come a long way from serving as the butt of endless jokes.

“I’m sure that Athens is ready,” said International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge when he arrived in the city last week for the Games, which begin Friday.

The main Olympic Stadium, the one with the soaring white roof arches, which were almost forsaken two months ago because construction was so far behind schedule, is now all but ready. Workers are still adding cosmetic touches. All other venues have been declared ready by officials.

Major mass-transit projects are complete, with a new train whisking passengers from the airport to downtown and most venues linked by rail or street tram.